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This is the Dan Levatore Show with the Stugats podcast.

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If If you're interested in movies, if you're interested in sports business, if you're interested in sports, in baseball, these two guys have you covered. Cinefile is Adnan Verk's movie podcast. Nothing personal is David Samson's all-encompassing podcast. I recommend to everyone listening here to check those out because they're doing it differently than most people are doing it. Before we get started here on what their top five lists are, though, Samson, I need to call you out on a hypocrisy and inconsistency that a lot of people have been calling you out on since yesterday because you came on here yesterday regarding Travis Kelsey, and this is what you had to say. The consequences had to be because Travis Kelsey ends up in a situation where he bumps his Coach. Listen to David Samson on that subject matter.

And I would have benched him. I would have had him gone for once. Oh, come on.

Come on.

If a baseball player attacks a manager physically Basically, during the game, you don't think he's taken out of the game?

I should have benched him for the game. What he did is inexcusable, and no one talks about it because no one wants to upset Taylor.

It's a joke. You think that's the reason no one's talking about it, that we're afraid of upsetting Taylor Swift?

You're not talking about it because you don't want to be on the unpopular side of any issues like this. You don't realize that there's a team.

You're afraid of the big issues.

What if someone in your container attacked you, Dan? What if someone attacked you right now? You're not going to put them in the, quote real penalty box? Give me a break.

He also called it unacceptable, and he also said no excuse. This is why, David, you get accused of being a management shill, because here is some sound dug up by others and our video team of you talking about when Bruce Arien slapped one of his players in the back of the head during a game. Don't put your hands on the players.

I couldn't disagree with you more. We cannot legislate against Coaching that involves some David, that was not coaching.

That was not coaching, David. Don't tell me what Bruce Arien did.

In Bruce Arians' mind, and he thinks it's coaching. I'm with you. I agree with you. But Arians thinks he's coaching.

That was not coaching, man. Get out of here. He thinks it is, though. Okay, but I don't care what he thinks.

That's the only thing that you should care about. Intent.

Don't touch the players. You can coach them. Don't do it angrily. How about that? I'm sorry, Dan. Don't do it angrily.

You're right. We're dealing into something that may have something to do somebody's past, and we're digging deep into psychological territory here. But your reaction to this is so emotional and personal that there's got to be something here.

Because you're an executive in charge, and it bothers me that you guys think it's okay to manhandle the employees. It bothers me.

Oh, that's what Bruce did. You're right. I'm wrong. He manhandled them. You're right. David. That's what that was. He hit him. I may have seen the wrong video. I must have seen the wrong video.

He hit him in the back of the head, David.

Hit him. You stop using, especially show that's audio, you're using verbs that people will associate with something that is not actually real. He didn't manhandle, he didn't hit, he didn't abuse. There is serious things that go on with players and with kids. Let's not for a minute say that what Bruce Arians did goes to that level.

David, should Kelsey just have slapped Andy Reid in the back of the head? Wow.

Arians, the slap on the helmet in the middle of a football game. If you can't distinguish that from what Kelsey physically did to Reid, why didn't you put the video up of both of these circumstances other than just the audience?

Rights issues. We got to pay for them.

Oh, sorry.

Fair point.

Football is aggressive about that. Basketball is last. That's the end of that.

But wait a minute.

But this is your prism, David, and it's consistent. The angry old man can do what he wants. The angry young man cannot because one's an employee and the other one's in charge.

Yeah, this is not a management player issue for me. This is looking at what you're doing for your entire team. When a player does that, it's so out of line. The coach and the front office has to do something, even if it's the star, first ballot Hall of Famer. Totally distinguishable from what happened with Arians and that slap on the helmet.

David, what Arians did, it had more physical contact in it than what Travis did.

If you think that that player was in as great physical harm and scared than what Andy Reid was. He wailed on him on the back of the head. He hit him in the back of the head. It was not that. Go show... Oh, you don't have the video.

David, we just looked at it.

I'm looking at the video. You're looking at the video right now. What did Arians do to the back of that player's head? I'll come do it to Stugatz.

He lunges forward and smacks the guy in the back of the helmet.

I'd like it to see it done to Stugatz.

We're going to do a recreation here. The camera people, just come on Stugatz's face. What? Bad phrasing.

Oh, jeez.

What happened there?

Here Here we go. We're going to recreate this. We're going to recreate this. Just softer, please. Not softer. Just stare straight ahead.

I think she's embarrassed because of what you just said.

I think she is. She is now physically dead.

You ruined it, Dan.

I'm sorry. That's what I do. All right, here we go. Are you ready? Gentle.

She led up there.

Yeah.

She didn't go full force. She didn't do it.

Arians whacked somebody in the back of the head, and you're okay with it, David, because it's management.

Wait, can we show it on the eye? Can we show it on Mike's iPad or not?

Not really. No, we've got a rights issue.

What if that player did the same exact thing to Arians?

I believe that that player would have been benched, if not released, but for being a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Adnan, do you have any thoughts here before we get into the top five?

No, I'm just I'm outraged. That's all I am. Just the fact that the NFL is not allowing us to show these rights. That's really my main concern. But I can't wait to get to the movie. I'm sure David's list stinks, just like his opinion on Travis Kalz are being benched.

Boy, that was so additive, Adnan. Thank you for joining the conversation.

Number five, what is the list that we're doing? What is the list that we're doing?

I thought we were doing this on Valentine's Day, on a day when we could have some love in the air. So Adnan and I wanted to do the top five most romantic movies ever.

Wow. All right. That's going to be an impressive list.

Let's see if we- Number 5, Cyrano.

Cyrano is a movie starring Pete Dinklage from a couple of years ago.

Obviously, the story of Cyrano de Bergerac. It was a movie that if it didn't put a huge hole in your heart of love, then you have no heart.

I preferred Roxanne because that's where Steve Martin had an oversize snout rather than it being a little person as the malady. But I do like Dinklage. He's fine. It's all right.

Did you ever see the original with Jirard Depardieu?

That one's better. Except he's canceled, so I can't put that on the list.

They canceled Jirard Depardieu?

What do you mean? Yes.

The French love him. He's canceled except for in France.

I don't know if that's true, Adam. I think he's canceled, especially in France.

Are you saying that that movie was better but is not on your list because he was canceled?

No, I like Sir or No better, but I wouldn't put a Jirard Depardieu. That would be like me telling you I would put Lethal Weapon on a list. On principle alone, I won't put it on any list now because of Mel Gibson.

I didn't realize that your lists were contaminated by cancelations. I didn't realize that.

My list is contaminated by personal cancelations.

Okay, so you're in your personal record book. This is your top five people who have been canceled by-stugoutsbook. Com. Okay, number 4.

That's exactly right.

Number 4.

Number 4 is one of my all-time favorite movies directed by Richard Link later called Before Sunrise with Julie Delvey and Ethan Hawke. This is about people who meet on a train and spend an entire night together. I have tried to recreate that night in various places around the world, and I've been successful several times. It is... Just go see it. It's a trilogy, but start with Before Sunrise.

David Samson, you'll never be Ethan Hawke. Okay, so go ahead and replicate whatever you want. I prefer Before Sunset, and the trilogy is amazing. Link Theater is a great director. I really can't quibble with this choice. It's a good one.

Wow. You're quibbling with the fact that I've ever had that experience, Adnan. I promise you I have.

Yeah, that's right. I don't think you could replicate that. I don't think you have the magnetism of Ethan Hawke to replicate that. Don't even bother.

Now, maybe you should get to know me better. Number three. What does that mean? Brokeback Mountain.

Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that you could have a romantic night like that that would disprove Adnan Virk if he simply saw your romantic moves?

1,000%. Oh, God.

You got game.

Okay.

If you speak to people-Play. We don't have to play this.

I can't. Let's not do that. Number three. If I speak to people, let's interview all the people that Dave has made swoon with his one-night romance.

Yes, all the paramos of Samson's life. I look forward to discussing that with them.

I need to speak to my lawyer first, but once I do, I am more I'm happy to give you a top five list of that.

Do you ever speak to anyone without speaking to your attorney first?

No. My mom didn't raise no fool.

Number three, Brokeback Mountain.

Brokeback Mountain. If you can't get through the fact that it is one of the most romantic movies, the relationship between Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, it came at a time directed by Ang Lee where it was not as acceptable as it is now, and it should have been, and it should be, and it always should be. But their relationship is one of the best on-screen relationships in history.Catal.

Ranchers.gay..

Number two.Adultrous..

Only one of them was. Oh, no, they both were. Anne Hathaway was one of the ones.And.

Were you if we were consulting with your attorney. Number two.I.

Didn't say that.You.

Did not say that. I know you didn't because you didn't consult with your attorney.

I have no idea what you're even talking about.

Number two.

Hold on. We have to cut that out. I don't know what you mean, Dan. Number two, Moulin Rouge. The greatest thing about life is love. It always has been for me. Ewen McGregor, Nicole Kidman, Toulouse Le Trec, and nothing more to say about that. And the number one most romantic movie, and there will never be a different number one, is The Notebook. I've rewatched it time and time again. It is waterworks every time. I want to be the relationship that Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams had, and I wanted to die like James Garner and Gina Rollins holding hands in a nursing home, and I absolutely failed miserably at that goal. But that was something that I aspired to, and that is the type of love that everyone should want.

The only thing we have in common, I said, did want to die while watching that movie, 54% Rotten Tomat. It's absolutely terrible. I mean, that is the height of maudlin and overly sentimental. I mean, waterworks, I suppose, since you're soft, Samson. But honestly, I'd rather watch Stugats' Only a fan's page than watch The Notebook.

Thank you.

I have no response to that. Just make sure you pay him his money.

Adnan, your top five looks how different?

Mine is good, Dan. Number five is Four Weddings and a Funeral. Hugh Grant, his most charming and foppish and romantic F-word for the first 10 words of the movie. Really funny, really charming. Number four, Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner. Dirty dancing. Again, iconic swooning romance. There's no way Samson doesn't love Dirty Dance, and that's why I know he's staying quiet. Number three, another one of his favorites, and everyone's favorite, quite frankly, Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan. I'll have what she's having, When Harry Met Sally.

That's his deli.

Number two, Casablanca. We'll always have. Stop it. Number one, I'm serious about this one. This is the number one. All kidding aside, you can't get a movie better than a guy who's in love with a hooker. Pretty Woman. Oh, man.

No Rocky, I believe we have lost again, Lucy and Jessica, because you guys insist on choosing movies from 50 and 60 and 70 years ago.

My movies are current. Are you telling me that Lucy and Jessica haven't seen all five of my movies No, I haven't seen.

I think I've seen one of them.

Which one? Moulin Rouge.

I've seen The Notebook. I can get past Adnan having a movie podcast and not knowing what Gerard Dapperdo has been up to the last 10 years because it's pretty bad.

Listen, it's not that I don't Jess, it's not that I know what it's up to. I separate the art from the artist, okay? I'm not going to condemn him like Samson. I'm not like Samson on a pulpit here excoriating everybody for their sins. That's perfectly fine if he's willing to do so.

I was just informed. There's a lot of sins. I'm a bad dude.

How about true lies? True Lies?

True Lies. Jimmy Lee Curtis. Thank you.

All I'm saying is that I need the movies to be somewhat fresher because you guys are talking and I'm listening and I like I like your choices. I like the historical context. I like how thorough you are. I'm looking at the 20 somethings in our room, and they don't have any idea what you're talking about.

Cyrino is from two years ago.

Listen, by that logic, Samson wins because Cyrino was two years ago.

Yeah, I've seen it. I've seen When Harry Met Sally.

Nice. Way to go, Lucy. David, you see- Lucy, how great is When Harry Met Sally? I like it a lot. I think it's a cute movie.

Yeah, exactly.

That's what I'm looking for. One of the romantic moments I had is when I took someone to Katz's Deli to try to sit at the table where it happened, and it just happens to be that it's right. There's a picture of me on the wall of Katz's Deli, and I was not aware of it. It was right there when we were sitting there. That is the number one. Look at me, Louis, I can give you. I got to tell you, it had the opposite effect that I thought it would have.

Could have told you that. If you're ever at the West in Bonaventure in Washington, DC, head to the elevators and you'll see a plaque that That honors the scene in True Lies, where Arnold rode that elevator with a horse. Thank you.

David, you were going for a Cyrano moment at Katz's Deli. You pointed to your picture on the wall. No.

The waiter pointed it out to who I was with.

And?

And I demured. I just said, Oh, I didn't know it was there because I'd heard about it, but I'd never seen it. But the whole thing was looked at as a setup, and it was not. It was all over pastrami.

Put it on the poll, please, Juju, @LebitardShow. Are you surprised at all that David Samson's love interest would distrust him and think him in scam over pastrami? @lebitardshow. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Point break.

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Don Levatard. David Samson, weirdo. Because he was not the fun substitute teacher who'd wheel out a TV and play a VHS tape of Armageddon in science class.

He was the weird one who would He made an egg salad sandwich while clipping his toenails into the trash can and ranting about Ronald Reagan.

Stugatz.

The guy kept talking about how his ass was smooth, smoother than a newborn's cheek. He wouldn't stop bragging about his bare buttocks to me.

This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugatz.

Now, we stumble into a lot of things in this show, but I don't think we've ever done better than Dan in the last segment.

Camera people, just come on Stugats' face. What? Bad phrasing.

I mean, Dan, bravo to you.

Usually, there's like, What did he mean by that?

Oh, that was kindest. That was just...

Usually, we're like, Ha ha, phrasing.

Yeah, it was lack some subtlety. If you weren't watching on video, Jessica was coming in here. I denied us the moment of him, of Stugatz being slapped hard on the back of the head. Wait not a second.

Phrasing again?

Yeah. Walking in here.

People, just come on Stugatz's face. You should have used ejaculate.

All right, Jason, let's go.

No?

So Jessica comes in here to slap Stugatz on the side of the head and instead ends up corpse-like on the floor in the dead position. I don't think Video caught that because they were too busy coming on Stugatz's face.

Was my Bruce Ariens all right, though? I tried to not actually hit him very hard. You It was fine.

You had to hit him harder.

I think he was ready to let you have it.

I don't want to really smack him that hard.

I was bracing myself for something bigger, but it was fun.

I sabotaged everything by killing her before it started. I appreciate it.

The Bruce Ariens thing was clearly worse than what Travis, Kelsey did, because the Kelsey thing is just a bump in the heat of a moment. Ariens goes out of his way, lunges-Wines up.and.

It's just way worse.

I think it would go a long way for David in terms of the general likability things that we run into with him to just You got me. Yeah. No, that is good work by you and your team. He's not going to do it. That is a hypocrisy. You caught me.

Not happening. I just don't think he's capable of looking at it through anything other than his prism on he was management in sports and management has to be in control. It's a plague in sports, and it actually separates management from the generation that is playing sports. The fact that so many of them look at it the way that David does. We have to be in charge and we have to show people at all times we're in charge.

That's presently why the greatest coach of all time is without a job.

How about that one? I think we skip past the fact that the Atlanta Falcons in the last 12 months have said no to the MVP of the League and the best coach ever. Don't need them.

I don't even know necessarily if we can make it entirely an age or generation thing because of what we talked about a little bit last week on the show with Kyle Shanaehan, videoing his staff when he's not in meetings with them and essentially spying on them while they're in position group meetings. His explanation We talked about it on God bless football, stew, with you and Kaylyn Kayler from The Athletic and Billy. And his explanation is like, he wants to make sure they're getting everything right and the messaging is all cohesive and everything like that. But from my point of view, I wouldn't want video cameras in Every room that I'm in, if I'm working for someone, I'd like to have at least a little bit of... Wait, are these cameras on?

While video was just coming on Stugatz's face.

You told me these were a prop.

This is interesting to me, It really is in terms of philosophically where it is we're headed with leadership, especially in our most militaristic sport. Bill Belichick is out of work. Jay Glazer has been telling you for months now, the philosophies in football have changed. The coaches realize that they have to keep evolving to reach their young players who are built differently. Tom braided just said, you guys saw the quotes for the first time. Not even the 10-part documentary on Apple did this. Tom braided is saying, I wouldn't have played for that style anymore. I learned my power.

Not one more year.

Not one more year would I have played for Belichick the way that he was doing things. The way the sport has evolved, Bruce Arians won a championship with braided, being close to 70 years old, slapping players on the head. You cannot have the power that Travis Kelsi presently has and keep him confined to the cage of he's always got to listen to coach with no missteps. There always has to be authority. The relationship has to be broader than that. It cannot be parent ordering child around anymore. The players have too much power for that. So they're going to bump up against it in heated moments, and it's going to result in a lot of times, either management like Kraft supports the Belichick Patriot way or football grows out of it because today's players, Stugatz realizes, Patrick Mahomes knows, do you realize that when If I go to the camera and say it's not okay anymore for the black player to be held down, Roger Goodell is going to immediately apologize for all things Kaepernick related, because that's what happens when the employees have Power.

braided said that, though, Dan, about Belichick after winning six Super Bowl with Belichick. A lot easier to say. If you're an organization that hasn't won in a long time and you feel like you're on the verge of winning and you don't want Bill Belichick because he's going to work you too hard, Please. I don't want to hear from you. I really don't.

Okay, but he's being paid $375 million by Fox more than Mahomes will make for playing the games because people do want to hear from him, and that's what he's going to say now that he's free from the military prison system that he's played in that produced some winning, but then he left, and it wasn't like that. He won also not playing that way. It's not the only way to win, Stugan.

But I understand. No, it's not. For sure, it's not. But I understand saying that after absorbing Bill Belichick for as long as Tom braided did. If you're Justin Herbert, you don't want Bill Belichick. I don't want Justin Herbert. How about that?

My point is that braided went elsewhere and won, and the next generation that arrives behind to Brad.

For players, Coach Bruce Arians.

Players coach, Bruce Arians who slaps players in the head, but was viewed as more of a players' coach than Belichick was.

Yeah, but he's also a disciplinarian. I went through years sharing in my opinions, on Bruce Arians. There was a reason why it took so long for him to get a job.

But that part has aged out. The sport has aged out. Now what you get is the youngsters who are spying on their coaches in the video room because they learned from the culture. I mean, Shana Han comes- How about you learn the rules? Stugats. It never gets old. It's never going to get old. It's never going to get old.

Might not even be true, but- Wear that one.

He's going to have to wear it.

I mean, what's true is the players didn't know.

Kyle Shanahan descends from someone like Belichick and Arians and learned how to do it a different way. And so he will connect with his players differently while surveiling his coaches in their meeting rooms. Because it's not like you're going to lose all of this paranoia and all of this crazy, they're just going to adapt to handle it better as the employees become more unruly because they have actual power in a sport that doesn't allow them to have power because they're disposable and it's salary-capped and it makes it very hard for a player, especially Stugats, a tight end like Kelsey, to have the power to bump a coach and survive it, to bump a coach and go on the number one podcast in America and say, Ha, ha, ha, me and my drunk brother. I bump the coach. Ha, ha, ha.

He's also never really been like that. Travis Kelsey has been intense, but not in that fashion. I wonder what's happening there. What I landed on was it was just a much tougher year. Everything. For Travis. Yeah, well, for everybody on that Kansas City offense. It's the first real frustration, legitimate frustration that played out on the field because look, man, they got lit up by Aiden O'Neill didn't have a passing yard in the second half.

Do you guys at all find this this generational? Because Jessica is saying it's not generational, But it feels to me like Belichick 70, and he's dealing with the players who won the Super Bowl for the Chiefs are in their 20s. I mean, Kelsey, too. But the defensive players who won the Super Bowl for the Chiefs- That's unfair, though, because the oldest coach in the league was Pete Carroll, and he didn't have the same reputation.

There's a lot going on with Belichick, military background, whatnot. But Carroll was always viewed as super different from the Parcells.

Players coach.

It's the gum. But it's the generational point that you're making. It's approach.

Andy Reid is 65 years old. He has a different style than Bill Belichick for certain. He allows players to do that.

He's good with it. Vermeer was an older guy, but he was always viewed as a players' coach guy.

I love that Andy Reid was looking out for Travis It speaks to their relationship saying, Hey, there's a lot of cameras on me all the time. It's the Super Bowl. What are you doing? Stop doing it.

I just find most interesting in the employee-employer relationship that the employer is being forced to be more human about the frailties of the employee. It's best to cover it the way Andy Reid does, to do it with love, but you better have a real relationship. It's not going to make you survive the Seattle organization if you're Pete Carroll. He had relationships with them, and he's now run out of that building. He had real relationships.

For a 36-year-old coach.

Right, but Andy Reid is winning. Every year.

What I'm telling you is, yes, Andy Reid is winning. So was Belichick. Now he can't get a job because you better be able to deal with Kelsey's power.

But he went three years without winning.

Yeah, the winning stopped.

That's what it needs. Yes, the winning has to be there. Don Levatard. I read his lips and it sounded like he was saying, What? You want to fight me now?

But I'm telling you, we can play a game right now.

The lips look the same on fight you and failure. Watch my lips. I'm going to turn off my mic.

No, I just.

I'm going to send one of these two. I like this one.

I want you guys to tell me if I'm saying fight you or failure. Okay.

Yeah. Why are your ideas always so bad for the podcast? It's always been an audio. Big swings, great.

Is this a character that you have now?

Here we go.

Do it again.

Fight you.

That was fight. That was fight.

Maybe you can't tell. Oh, my God.

We got to the bottom of it. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats. I love that he's joining us this way. This is Comedy Central right here. He is joining us from the road. Look at him from his hotel room. Joining us from on tour, I think, in Oklahoma City. He's got shows coming up in Irvine, California, Salt Lake City, Boston.

What a great shirt. Captain Clutch.

Yes. Well, he wants to talk about the Knicks. He's auditioning to become our Knicks correspondence to God's because all the comedians, this is the best Knicks season we've seen in 25 years. Deezus wants to be our Knicks correspondent. Mero wants to be our Knicks correspondent. He's got a Netflix special coming. It's out now, same time tomorrow. Sam Morrell is with us now to talk Knicks basketball and other things. Our timing is bad, though, Sam, because this is the worst stretch the Knicks have gone through this season. They've lost four in a row.

Everyone's hurt.

We're depleted by injuries, and it's a tough time because we just got to get healthy. We're so deep all of a sudden. The quickly trade made us a little thin, but we got O'G, then he gets hurt. Birks and Bohan, I think that's going to help a lot once we're all healthy, but we don't have a big man. We don't have Hardenstein. Mitchell, Sims is in and out. Him getting COVID, I'm like, Are you kidding me? Covid? So it's been tough. And then the refs, Ed Malloy's team, stole a game from us the other night, and just despicable. Should never be allowed to ref a Knicks game again. I'm with you. I don't want to say the words Guantanamo Bay, but they come to mind.

Torture. Torture is what you're calling it. I want to play for you our famous Ed Malloy sound. This is him. This is how you felt the other night against Houston. Here's Ed Malloy ruining a Timberwolves game.

Down by two, a hundred and 98, inbound to love on the left side with one jubble. It was up for the shot. It's blocked by Marion. The ball comes into the arms of Dala bear. The horn sounds and the ball game is over. The Timberwolves are screaming for a foul. There was none called. Rubio off to love. Oh, that's a foul. That is unbelievable. Referees are booed as they go off the floor. Brutal.

David Guthrie is right there.

He didn't have the guts to call it. Also, go Ed Ed Malloy!

That's how you felt the other night against the Rockets, isn't it? We hate him.

He caused us. I believe it was his team that caused us the home opener against the Celtics. Go, Ed Malloy! Criminal. He's a criminal. We despise him. We'll remind him of this whenever we see him. His team, the fact that they can't just... I want a five-minute overtime. You come to the garden, we'll come to Houston. We want five minutes. But the fact that we had all the momentum and they just stole that from us, just despicable. Adam Silver, do the right thing. And boy, did that take me back. Sam Dellenberg, also an ex-nik right there. But yeah, man, just not right, especially when Okay, if we're going to lose this game, then let us arrest Brunson and DiVincenzo, who have been playing 92 minutes a night. Thibs is killing our guys because we're thin right now. So it's not right.

That's what Thibodeau does, though.

That's all Thibs does. What are you talking about? Kills his team. He's going to run you all into the ground. You, too, are going to feel like you've played 82 regular-season games before Thibodeau is done with you.

It's true. I tore my Achilles watching. No, I mean, look, I don't think it's going to be quite as bad once we have a legit 8-9 guy rotation for the play-outs, because we are all of a sudden deep. The Bogdanovitch off the bench move is like, Man, I hate to lose Grimes, but I think it's a nice move. Precious is looking great, by the way. O. G, when he's healthy, is a game changer. I'm like, I will fully put us against the Celtics, dude. I will do it.

Mike Ryan, are you hearing him? He's filled with Nick's hope. He's putting them against the Celtics.

I'm I'm not saying we're going to win, but I say we can give him a good fight.

That's nice of you. You'll put him against him.

No, I had PTSD when he said precious because it's precious A'Chuwa, who was a part of the Gorand Dragge trade to Toronto that got us Cal Lowry, who I hate with a passion.

But he's playing great. I think what you're saying is you'll take on the Celtics with O'G, though, right?

Oh, we need O'Gee because I think O'Gee can make Tatum's life pretty bad. We're deep. We don't have six of eight rotation players. What do you expect? We don't have Randall, we don't have Mitchell, we don't have Hardenstein, we don't have O'Gee, who is turned into a legit... He's a legit DPOI candidate the way he's playing, if he's healthy.

You love Hardenstein, and I think basketball people do, too. I do. But a lot of people would laugh at the idea that he's the difference maker against the Celtics.

Little things, Dana. He is.

Because matchups are everything. As much as I love Mitchell Robinson, I think the KP matchup is a little difficult. So much love to KP, another former nick who I think we wish things ended differently, obviously. But I think Hardenstein defensively, if you watch basketball, that's why I know Steven A. Smith doesn't watch basketball when he goes some guy named Hardenstein, shut up, Steven A. Watch an actual game before you discredit the blue collar work ethic of the great Isaiah Hardenstein, who has been the glue this year. And I only hope we can find the money to resign him.

You really I don't like Steven A. Smith's Nicks analysis, do you?

He's a curse to the franchise. Stop rooting for us. I don't want you on our side. Anytime he calls a game, we lose. Go away.

I like that you called out Steven A. When Dan was like, I've Hardenstein, some guy named Hardenstein.

That pissed me off. That really pissed me off.

Take out Leventhal, man.

No, but I prefaced it by saying I know how much he loves Hardenstein, and I know that America is laughing at the idea that that would be the difference against the Celtics. I'm not even sure that you would dispute that that would be America's appraisal, not necessarily basketball people's appraisal.

Well, maybe America has got to get on the Hardenstein page like I am because this guy is doing all the dirty work. I love this guy. Tib has reinvented his game. He was like a stretch five on the Clippers. He comes here, he becomes like a badass. I'm just worried because he's sitting out now with a sore Achilles, and I'm like, What the hell is that? I don't know what a sore Achilles is. That scares the hell out of me. Rest till you're 100.

Let's Let's play this sound to agitate Sam Morrell. I respectfully disagree. We all know how I feel about my nicks, but the 26th in defensive efficiency rating. Mitchell Robinson is out. Jericho Sims is out. So I got to deal with some dude named Hardenstein.

Who's been playing with. He never gives you.

He never short changes you with effort.

I'm not trying to be disrespectful.

Yeah, you are disrespectful. Some guy. This dude's an NBA player. I have to listen to some guy named Stephen A. Smith who doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. And holy shit, how could ESPN get any worse? I'm just like, Dude, replace him with like, R. J. Or JJ or someone who knows what they're talking about. And thank God for Kendrick Perkins, who's becoming a surprising ally to Nick's Twitter and Nick's fan base. I never thought I'd find the day where I love Kendrick Perkins, but this guy finally gives us props. Tnt, I love those guys, but they won't give the Nick's props. They won't give Jalen Brunson props. I don't know what Kenny Smith has against New York, being a New York guy, but get over it, dude. We're here. No one wants us in the playoffs. We just got to get healthy.

Bruno. Correct me if I'm wrong, this is the Knicks team that you've believed in the most.

Yeah, exactly. And look, the four seed Randall year was a pleasant surprise. I always believe, so that is a sickness, and it can be a curse, but it also keeps me positive about the Knicks. I love that team with Randall. I mean, how far are you really going to go? It wasn't a great offensive team, but man, they played good deal, and that rebuilt their identity to what it is today. If we're healthy, do you really want to play against Mitchell Robinson, Hardenstein, that combo?O'Giannanobi.Yes, in the worst possible way. You think Celtic fan?

Yes.

No, I'm not a Celtic fan. No, no. I'm not a Celtic fan. My Miami heat fan. My Miami heat fan. My Miami heat fan. My Miami heat fan. My Miami heat fan.

My Miami heat fan. Look, all due respect to the Miami Heat. You guys are washed. Jimmy's incredible. Jimmy's an incredible player. Bam's an incredible player. Duncan Robinson is actually my buddy, and I was at one of the games against the Heat.

You can high five him when he eliminates you in five. But you'll shoot Confetti off for that one win. All this to lose a high make.

We were two wins against you guys injured. We're going to cook you guys this year. We should have won that I'm serious.

You're right.

You're cute.

Thank you. By the way, on the headboard.

You're cute. Are those straps?

Are those straps?

Yeah, look behind you on the headboard. You got a little Zadino Charra situation going over there?

It's a nice hotel. What do you want from me?

Sam, any Super Bowl thoughts? If you want to keep talking about the Knicks, we certainly can because I want to have you on as a correspondent because we're going to heat up all this heat Knicks stuff with the comedians. I love it. Because New York gets loud when they're good, and they haven't had a lot of reasons over the last 15 or 20 years.

Yeah. Look, we all saw that Knicks viral Twitter thing when we beat the Celtics, the Hot Fournier game from a couple of years ago. I was at that game. That was magical, but it's tough when that's all you have to cheer about. But hey, we'll get behind anything. We're a fired up fan base. So yeah, I have thoughts on the Super Bowl. Look, I wanted the Niners to win just because I thought the purdy story was cool. But the Chiefs are incredible. Mahomes is unbelievable. The Kelsey push was a little... I mean, you're not supposed to push a geriatric, in my opinion. I don't think that's very classe to push a guy who's overweight and old. You don't do that. When you're a superhero athlete, it's shitty.

But you know- Sam, if Andy Reid had fallen down and had difficulty getting up, it'd be a much bigger controversy.

It'd be a life alert commercial.

Are you kidding me?

It was terrible. Yeah, I mean, no, it was a bad move. I also crack up at the people who are obsessed with the Travis, Kelsey, Taylor Swift, that them together are some spy for Joe Biden to get him elected. To those people, I say, Well, then maybe you need to orchestrate your own Republican spies to battle them with your celebrities. Maybe get Kanye to date Caitlin Jenner. They could team up. Something like that. I don't know. But it's an absurd... It's insane. Look, they're both famous people. She's a beautiful, famous pop star, and he's a handsome football player. What do you expect?

Same time tomorrow is the Netflix special. You should check it out because he's one of the funiest men doing it. You could get tickets for Irvine, Salt Lake City, Boston at sammoreell. Com. Anything else we need to promo for you? We appreciate your time, and we're going to wear you out as Nick's correspondence.

Got to be a hit in Boston.

Yes. Boston, they know. They know what's up. They know I love the Knicks. But look, Boston, I'm taping there for a reason. It's some of the best comedy crowds in the country, so I love the Wilbur, so I'm taping my next special for Amazon there. So that's going to be a fun couple of nights. Love Boston people, don't like their sports teams.

How many shirts like that do you have? How much Knicks paraphealia do you have? Too much.

Too much, dude. It's not good. It's not healthy how much of this shit I have. But look, you can even see it, the Brunson face. Yeah, that's right.

I love Jalen. Does your significant other or other loved ones mock how much you love the Knicks and how much teenage gear you have that you're an overgrown adolescent wearing so much Knicks stuff?

I mean, would you mock a John Stark's jersey from when I was 11 years old? I don't think so. I think it's pretty cool, actually, Dan. Thanks for asking.

But you have a 20- I think my Nick's merch is pretty cool.

The last time we worked-You have a 27-year-old T-shirt in your collection?

I have so much old nick stuff. Yeah, I kept all of it, man. I got old Starks. I gave away my Larry Johnson jersey to a friend. I shouldn't have done it. I'm too generous. What else? I have a ton of... My brother's got Ewing, the old Ewing. We shared a Mason, RIP, the great Anthony Mason. And then I got a Sprewell. So Randall was my first Knicks jersey in 20 years, I think, because there wasn't a guy I wanted to get behind, but that four-seed year was pretty unique. I don't really wear jerseys. It was more just like, I just got to support the team.

Do you know how much it's going to hurt when the heat eliminate you and you're wearing a Randall jersey?

I just told you I don't really wear a jersey, so already your prediction doesn't make any sense.

But you said you had something Randall-related.

I don't wear it. I wear cool graphic tees made by this guy. I think Bacher backpages, that's who makes these. He's great. He makes crazy cool ones. I got a Villanova Good Villas. It's like Goodfellas, but Goodvillas has got the Villanova guys on it.

If the Knicks are a three-seed. You tell me that this guy is not going to figure out how to wear Randall gear and it's going to hurt extra when they lose in the second round?

It's going to hurt because it hurts because we're never good. But he just said he doesn't wear the jersey. He just buys the jersey.

That's it. I I believe that New York is about to get very loud because they believe in this team, and they don't learn anything about their past. You know how dangerous it is to believe in this team.

The Cubs had a drought, too, and that ended. So I think droughts end. And I think this team, something about Brunson just makes me believe, man. We got a tough, gritty team. So Josh Hart, O'Giannanobi, Mitchell Robinson. We got some physical guys for the playoffs, and I'm feeling good. I'm feeling pretty good about this team. Are we going to win all this year? Who knows?

It took Cubs 108 years. You got about 50 more years to wait.

I'm very healthy. I had an egg white omelet today. I could wait forever. I'll be there whenever it happens.

Sam, good talking to you. Good seeing you again.

Good talking to you guys. Go, Ed Malloy!

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